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Economic Times
30-06-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
Scientists thought they found a 'zombie' in space. Turns out, it was something even stranger
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In June last year, astronomers scanning the sky from the remote deserts of Western Australia picked up a sudden, blinding burst of radio energy. The signal was so powerful, it temporarily outshone every other radio source in the sky, according to a report of first, the team at Curtin University believed they had discovered something extraordinary — perhaps a new type of astronomical object or an ultra-rare fast radio burst (FRB) from within our galaxy.'We were really excited,' Dr. Clancy James, associate professor at Curtin's Institute of Radio Astronomy, told CNN. 'It looked like we had found an unknown object near Earth.'The data came from the ASKAP telescope , an advanced array of 36 large antennas spread across the Wajarri Yamaji Country in Western Australia. This setup is usually used to detect FRBs — intense, millisecond-long bursts of radio energy from distant galaxies, potentially caused by exotic phenomena like magnetars, the ultra-magnetic remains of dead bursts are not only puzzling but also powerful tools for mapping the "missing" matter in the universe. But this particular signal wasn't behaving like a normal typical FRBs that originate billions of light-years away, this burst appeared to be shockingly close — just 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) from Earth. When the team zoomed into the data, the image became blurry — a telltale sign the source was much closer than sifting through satellite databases, the astronomers matched the source to Relay 2, a long-defunct U.S. communications satellite launched in 1964. Relay 2 had been orbiting silently since its instruments failed in this sparked an even more bizarre question: Could a dead satellite suddenly burst back to life?The leading theory is an electrostatic discharge — a burst of energy caused by a buildup of electric charge on the satellite's surface, similar to the shock you get from touching a doorknob after walking on carpet. When the charge releases, it can emit a sharp flash of radio these discharges are common and often harmless, the intensity and brevity of this one — just 30 nanoseconds long — was unprecedented. In fact, it was 2,000 to 3,000 times brighter than any other signal the ASKAP instrument typically possibility, though less likely, is that a micrometeorite no larger than a grain of sand slammed into Relay 2 at extreme speed, causing a burst of plasma and radio waves. However, the team estimates there's only about a 1% chance that was the this turned out to be a human-made source, the discovery underscores a major challenge in space research: the interference of space junk with astronomical observations. With over 22,000 satellites launched since the dawn of the space age — and thousands no longer functional — Earth's orbit is becoming a crowded and unpredictable like the one from Relay 2 could easily be mistaken for cosmic phenomena, especially as ground-based observatories like ASKAP and upcoming arrays such as SKA-Low (Square Kilometre Array) continue to scan the skies for fast, faint this unexpected 'zombie signal' turned out to be from a defunct satellite, it opens up new possibilities for using radio telescopes to monitor aging spacecraft for signs of unusual activity.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Scientists thought they found a 'zombie' in space. Turns out, it was something even stranger
Astronomers in Western Australia detected a powerful radio burst, initially mistaking it for a new astronomical object or a rare fast radio burst. The signal was traced back to Relay 2, a defunct U.S. communications satellite launched in 1964. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads In June last year, astronomers scanning the sky from the remote deserts of Western Australia picked up a sudden, blinding burst of radio energy. The signal was so powerful, it temporarily outshone every other radio source in the sky, according to a report of first, the team at Curtin University believed they had discovered something extraordinary — perhaps a new type of astronomical object or an ultra-rare fast radio burst (FRB) from within our galaxy.'We were really excited,' Dr. Clancy James, associate professor at Curtin's Institute of Radio Astronomy, told CNN. 'It looked like we had found an unknown object near Earth.'The data came from the ASKAP telescope , an advanced array of 36 large antennas spread across the Wajarri Yamaji Country in Western Australia. This setup is usually used to detect FRBs — intense, millisecond-long bursts of radio energy from distant galaxies, potentially caused by exotic phenomena like magnetars, the ultra-magnetic remains of dead bursts are not only puzzling but also powerful tools for mapping the "missing" matter in the universe. But this particular signal wasn't behaving like a normal typical FRBs that originate billions of light-years away, this burst appeared to be shockingly close — just 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) from Earth. When the team zoomed into the data, the image became blurry — a telltale sign the source was much closer than sifting through satellite databases, the astronomers matched the source to Relay 2, a long-defunct U.S. communications satellite launched in 1964. Relay 2 had been orbiting silently since its instruments failed in this sparked an even more bizarre question: Could a dead satellite suddenly burst back to life?The leading theory is an electrostatic discharge — a burst of energy caused by a buildup of electric charge on the satellite's surface, similar to the shock you get from touching a doorknob after walking on carpet. When the charge releases, it can emit a sharp flash of radio these discharges are common and often harmless, the intensity and brevity of this one — just 30 nanoseconds long — was unprecedented. In fact, it was 2,000 to 3,000 times brighter than any other signal the ASKAP instrument typically possibility, though less likely, is that a micrometeorite no larger than a grain of sand slammed into Relay 2 at extreme speed, causing a burst of plasma and radio waves. However, the team estimates there's only about a 1% chance that was the this turned out to be a human-made source, the discovery underscores a major challenge in space research: the interference of space junk with astronomical observations. With over 22,000 satellites launched since the dawn of the space age — and thousands no longer functional — Earth's orbit is becoming a crowded and unpredictable like the one from Relay 2 could easily be mistaken for cosmic phenomena, especially as ground-based observatories like ASKAP and upcoming arrays such as SKA-Low (Square Kilometre Array) continue to scan the skies for fast, faint this unexpected 'zombie signal' turned out to be from a defunct satellite, it opens up new possibilities for using radio telescopes to monitor aging spacecraft for signs of unusual activity.
